More than 20 passengers from UK test positive for COVID-19 in India

New Delhi, Dec 23: In a recent development, it is reportedly said that at least 24 passengers from the UK who arrived in India have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The United Kingdom is hit by new coronavirus strain, prompting many countries including India to shut the operations of flights.

According to the data available, eight passenges who landed in Amritsar have tested positive for the virus, six and five have tested position for infection in Delhi and Ahmedabad, respectively. Two each have tested positive for COVID-19 in Kolkata and Bengaluru. One passenger also tested posted positive in Chennai.

On Tuesday, the government issued a stringent set of SOPs mandating RT-PCR tests at airports for each traveller from Britain. The government has also issued a statement that there is no need to panic but people should be more vigilant.

"We are yet to spot such a virus in our country. We will be safe if we suppress the genomic sequence," NITI Aayog member (Health) VK Paul said on Tuesday.

On Monday, India announced to temporarily suspend flights from the UK to the country after the emergence of a new and highly infectious strain of the coronavirus in Britain. The suspension of flights from the UK will come into effect from December 22 midnight and will continue till December 31.